Friday, April 29, 2011

Gas Prices at an all time HIGH

When my children look back to April 29, 2011 they will know that gas prices were at the all time high of my lifetime- and hopefully theirs. Who knows if these kids will even drive cars that use gasoline, but it should be noted that it cost and arm and a leg to fill up our safe, grocery getting, kid toting, sexy, Toyota Sienna minivan.

When I was the age of my kids, gas was $.39 a gallon, we rode in the backseat secured with only a weird contraption of a baby seat, or were facing out from the cargo space of the family truckster, and there was am/fm radio and air conditioning up front, only if your parents were rich. Although Nana and Papa never smoked cigarettes, it was common practice to drive your kids around town in the family station wagon while smoking, with the windows rolled up. Nice. It was a different time, for sure!

So much has changed in the last 30 some odd years. Gone are the station wagons, baby car beds, and second hand smoke (for most kids) and here are the perks- Air bags, Dvd players, dual climate control, sliding doors, and cup holders. Kids of today are spoiled. All this advancement comes at a price.

This was the sign in front of the Giant Eagle station. When empty, our van can take up to about 20 gallons, or at these prices, $83 worth. It is crucial to our family budget that I redeem our fuel perks wisely. I earn the extra discounts through gift card purchases, pharmacy, and groceries- all things we buy there to capture the fuel perks. If you recall I have been playing this game for years, only now the dividends are serious. This week I cashed in my perks and did not even have enough for a free tank, instead I redeemed the maximum in my loyalty card, and ended up $.23 short- so I paid a whopping $7.17 to fill up the van plus two gasoline cans in order to get all 30 gallons of gas. Such a deal.

Perhaps in the future, this post will serve as a reminder to my kids. They will reflect back to their childhood and mock me for being frugal, driving a minivan, and not using an alternative fuel vehicle-- the way I look back at the station wagons and backward facing death traps.

Trust me guys, if there was a hybrid minivan, Daddy would have bought it. Yes, you guys rode in a gasoline powered Japanese van, protected only by seat belts, boosters, air bags and the grace of G-d. It is a wonder you survived.